Chili’s Hot Night Burns Rangers : Baseball: Newly re-signed designated hitter reaffirms his value with five hits and five runs batted in as the Angels roll past Texas, 11-2.

It was a moment the Angels, their players and fans had grown accustomed to over the years. The superstar, the heart and soul of the team, and the club had come to a crossroads. A new contract needed to be negotiated and the bad vibes began to hover over Anaheim Stadium.

How would the Angels blow it this time? Would they trade Chili Davis for three stiffs and a bucket of balls? Would they lose him to free agency and gain nothing in return?

This time, amazingly enough, the Angels did the right thing. They signed Davis last week to a three-year deal worth $11.4 million, ensuring that he will probably end his career as an Angel.

Wednesday night, Davis once again showed why he’s worth the money. Five hits, including a three-run home run, and five runs batted in enabled the Angels to rout Texas, 11-2, in front of 12,138.

The victory combined with Oakland’s defeat of Seattle propelled the Angels past the Mariners and into first place in the American League West, a position they haven’t held since May 29 of last year.

“I would much rather be in first at this point then at the bottom,” Davis said. “We’ve been at the bottom for too long.”

Although attendance at Anaheim Stadium remains sparse, at least the fans who showed Wednesday went away happy. They could thank Davis.

He doubled in the first inning, singled in the third, homered in the fourth, singled in the sixth and singled again the eighth. His five hits were a career high.

“The hitting gods were on me tonight,” Davis said.

But it’s not as if Davis has allowed himself to relax with his contract settled.

“The load is still there,” he said. “I still have to produce. I think when you get a deal like that, all eyes are on you.”

Said Manager Marcel Lachemann: “Talking to all the young kids (on the team) and they were happy he signed, happy he’s going to be around a few more years.”

Lachemann noticed that Davis has relaxed since last week.

“The first night after he signed the contract, he tried to do too much,” Lachemann said. “After that he’s settled in.”

By the sixth inning, Texas Manager Johnny Oates had seen enough of Davis and the Angels, inserting five substitutes into the game together, much as a basketball coach would in garbage time.

Angel starter Scott Sanderson added to the lopsided margin, holding Texas scoreless until the seventh inning.

By then, Davis made sure Sanderson would be a winner. Sanderson went seven innings, giving up one run and six hits with two strikeouts. He did not walk a batter.

Making his third start, Sanderson didn’t blow away the Rangers with his speed but kept them off balance with an assortment of breaking balls and off-speed pitches.

“When our bats kick on like tonight it makes our pitching and offense look pretty good, and that’s what happened tonight,” Sanderson said. “More than anything else, it was a case of jumping out to the early lead.”

A 9-0 lead after four innings certainly didn’t hurt Sanderson’s chances at his first victory this season. The Angels were shut out, 3-0, by Toronto in his first start and lost to Oakland, 9-6, in his second.

Wednesday, they built their nine-run lead largely on Davis’ two-run double in the first inning and his towering three-run homer in the fourth off reliever Wilson Heredia.

In the third, Texas starter Bob Tewksbury (1-1) seemed destined for disaster, giving up two runs and loading the bases with only one out.

Tony Phillips led off with a double that just missed being a home run. The ball bounced off the top of the fence in left-center, however. Damion Easley sacrificed Phillips to third, then Jim Edmonds singled to score Phillips.

Davis reached on an infield single and Tim Salmon doubled into the gap in left-center. Greg Myers was intentionally walked, bringing up J.T. Snow. But Tewksbury got Snow to hit into an inning-ending double play.

After five batters, four consecutive singles and two runs in the fourth, Tewksbury was gone, replaced by Heredia with one out, two on and Davis coming to the plate.

Davis slammed Heredia’s 0-and-2 pitch over the right-field fence and the rout was on.